Squawks as an important physical finding for differentiation of diffuse panbronchiolitis from asthma in children: A case report

Abstract

Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory pulmonary disease clinically characterized by cough, sputum, and chronic sinusitis. Although the average age of onset is 40 years, DPB occasionally occurs in children and is often misdiagnosed as asthma. Long-term therapy with macrolide antibiotics significantly improves survival in DPB. Herein, we report the case of a 16-year-old man who had been treated for asthma and was referred to our department as transition from the Department of Pediatrics. Adequate auscultation to detect squawks and history taking of purulent sputum led to the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment, which improved his quality of life.